A Scoping Review on Community-based Diabetes Screening Interventions: Paving the Pathway to Early Care and Prevention of Diabetes

Abstract

Purpose of Review: This review mapped evidence on community-based screening interventions for early detection of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D), and identified barriers and strategies for developing and implementing such interventions in community settings for diverse populations. Recent Findings: Using the Arskey & O’Malley and Levac frameworks, we conducted a scoping review that identified 33 studies across 13 countries that developed and tested a community-based T2D screening intervention, utilizing risk assessment and Point-of-Care (POC) glucose testing. Screenings occurred in settings such as pharmacies (21%), faith-based centers (6%), and mobile vans (6%), with most studies from the United States (42%), Australia (16%), and Canada (9%). Post-screening, 89% of interventions offered referrals to primary care, while few connected participants to community programming. Barriers and strategies were mapped to the socioecological model to guide future development and implementation of early detection interventions in community settings. Summary: This review identified key factors for successful community-based T2D screening interventions, including adequate resources (i.e., funding and personnel), community engagement efforts, and accessible, feasible screening of T2D in community settings. POC testing proved valuable for early detection through immediate glucose results that would prompt potential interventions. However, challenges remain in ensuring long-term sustainability and feasibility of such approaches, as many interventions encountered high attrition rates due to challenges with referral pathways to health care and community programs, structural inequities, and lack of sustainable follow-up processes. Future research should focus on evaluating the cost-effectiveness and sustainable integration of these community-based T2D screening approaches into health systems for broader impact.